Match-safe



H. H. BROWN. MATCH SAFE.

No. 586,541. Patented July 20, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

I'IUGII HENRY BROlVN, OF CRANDALL, FLORIDA.

MATCH- -SAFE.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,541, dated July 20, 1897. A plication filed January 19, 1897. Serial No. 619,789. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom/ it 711161] cancer/ Be it known that I, IIUGH HENRY BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crandall, in the county of Nassau and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Match- Safe, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to match-safes, its object being to provide a safe from which only one match can be removed at a time. It is especially intended for use in stores, barrooms, or other public places; but it is equally adapted for use in private residences.

The invention consists of the several details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the clain In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of inyimproved match-safe. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the same.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 represents the back or supporting plate, to which the match-safe proper is attached. The plate is provided with a perforation 2 at its upper end for the purpose of suspending it on a nail, hook, or other suitable device. As shown in the drawings, the match-safe is triangular in cross-section, having a front side 3, a rear side 1, a top or cover 5, and the end pieces 6. It is secured at its rear upper corner to the supporting-plate 1 in any desired manner. The top 5 is hinged at its front edges to the upper edge of the front side 3, as indicated at 7, and is provided near its rear edge with a turn-button 8, adapted to engage a lug 9,projecting inwardly from the rear side 4 of the safe. The projecting end of the turn-button is provided with a milled head 10 to facilitate turning it.

11 indicates a brace extending from the support 1 and secured to the rear side e. I have only illustrated one of these braces arranged about midway of the length of the match-safe; but it is obvious that two or more may be employed, if desired.

At the lower apex of the safe the end pieces 6 are perforated to provide a passage-way through which a single match may slide endwise, and midway of their length the sides 3 and 1 are cut away at their lower portion, as indicated at 13, to afford access for the thumb and finger to grasp the lower match in the safe and slide it out through one of the end openings 12.

14. indicates a cover hinged at one edge to the rear side a of the match-safe near its upper edge, as indicated at 15. Preferably this cover is made in two sections hinged together at 16, so as to fold around the lower apex of the match-safe and engage the outer section with the front side 3 of the safe; The free end of the cover 14 is provided with a fingerhold 17, and immediately below this fingerhold it is provided with an opening 18 to enable the cover to fit over and frictionally engage a projection 19, extending outwardly from the front side 3 to hold the cover in its closed position.

The cover is provided with an elongated opening 20, through which the brace 11 we tends and which is for the purpose of permittin g the cover to swing down to a vertical position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in close proximity to the supporting-plate 1 in order that it may not offer any obstruction. In the event that two braces are employed, one at each end of the safe, the elongated opening in the cover will not be necessary, as the cover may be fitted to work between them.

The match-safe is preferably made from sheet metal, and the several parts are brazed or soldered together wherever it may be necessary, and the safe and brace are soldered or brazed to the supportingplate 1, which may, if desired, be of somewhat heavier metal than the safe. I do not, however, intend to limit my invention to a safe made of sheet metal, as it is evident that the several parts constituting it may be cast and secured together in any desirable manner and that the safe and the brace may be attached to the supportingplate by any suitable means other than soldering or brazing.

The function of the cover 14 is to close the openings 13 to prevent mice or rats or other vermin having access to the matches.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that the matches contained in the safe may be removed, one at a time, through the end openings 12 and that, owing to the triangular form of the safe, the matches will feed down, so as to be easily slid out through said openings until the supply is exhausted, or instead of removing the match entirely through the openings-12 it may be pushed outwardly until the inner end is opposite the opening 13,

.when the inner end may be depressed and their lower apexes to permit the passage of a single match lengthwise, and having its sides cut away at their lower converging edges about midway of their length to afford access for the thumb and finger to grasp the lower match in the safe and slide it through one ofthe end openings, combined with a jointed sectional cover hinged at one end to one of the sides of the safe and adapted to fold around the lower apex of the safe and be locked to its opposite side, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HUGH HENRY BROWN.

Witnesses:

O. A. SNOWBALL, J. B. ELLIs. 

